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LEED-ing the way

By Tracy HanesToronto Star

Sat., Feb. 14, 2009

It's a short distance from Shelagh and Denis Dunlop's former home in Newmarket to their new house on the town's Quaker Trail, but a monumental leap forward in their family's sustainable living journey.

Last month, the Dunlops became the first homeowners to move into the first residential development in Canada built entirely to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum specifications, which is the highest "green" home rating in North America.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are just one part of the energy-efficiency plan. (IAN WILLMS FOR THE TORONTO STAR)

The 34 homes in the EcoLogic development by Rodeo Fine Homes will use at least 50 per cent less water, have 35 per cent fewer discharge flows and generate 60 per cent less solid waste, greenhouse gas production and energy consumption than conventional homes. The project was built in partnership with the Town of Newmarket and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

The Dunlops were living in a 14-year-old house that needed upgrading and they were debating whether to invest in improvements or move to a new house.

After seeing signs advertising EcoLogic and learning about LEED, Shelagh Dunlop says they became curious.

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"We liked what LEED Platinum meant. My husband was intrigued by the technology used. We're a family of four and the whole green idea inspired us. It will be a good way for our daughters (aged 7 and 9) to learn about it."

The Dunlops' enthusiasm is matched by EcoLogic builders Frank Mauro and Vince Naccarato, partners in Rodeo Fine Homes, and architect Vincent Santamaura, principal in SRN Architects Inc., who designed the houses. They intend that the EcoLogic project will establish a process that other Canadian builders can follow to achieve LEED certification (builders from Michigan and Mexico have visited the site too). It's also been a valuable learning tool for the trades involved.

"We looked at the project and Frank and I wanted a challenge. It was a no-brainer," says Naccarato. It was a steep learning curve for the builders, who had never built an energy-efficient home before, let alone an entire sustainable subdivision. "The biggest challenge was bringing it in at a price point people could afford."

Since the project opened last spring, half of the 34 houses have sold. They are on 40-, 45- and 60-foot lots, ranging in size from 2,200 square feet to 3,600 square feet, starting at about $500,000.

A model home opened recently, showcasing the systems and products used, all which are "off the shelf," thus easy to access. Many come from local suppliers, such as air solar panels manufactured in Vaughan and Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber from Kott Lumber in Stouffville. And Mississauga cabinet manufacturer AyA produced the urea formaldehyde-free EVO cabinetry.

At first glance, the EcoLogic homes seem like many other new suburban houses, except for three-foot roof overhangs on the south-facing models. The overhangs allow the winter sun to shine through the south-facing windows during the cold months but will shade them in summer. On the lawn, two round circles, which look like small manhole covers, indicate where the underground cisterns are located. They will store gathered runoff and rainwater. And the roofs are outfitted with solar panels, which have been unobtrusively integrated into the home.

"This particular house (the model home) is 70 per cent more efficient than houses built to the Ontario Building Code," says John Godden, president of Clearsphere and an environmental and energy-efficiency building expert, who served as consultant on the project. "Fifty per cent of the overall space heating and hot water heating will come from the sun."

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One of the revolutionary products used is Icynene, a spray foam insulation, which looks like sponge cake. As well as insulating, it has superior air sealing qualities and eliminates the need for an exterior air barrier. The model home has just one air exchange per hour, compared to two or three exchanges in Energy Star-built houses.

A dual-purpose, high efficiency boiler provides space heating, domestic hot water and radiant heating for the homes, using "one engine" for all those purposes. The system only produces hot water when needed, so there's no stand-by heat loss. The boiler modulates, so in summer it only needs enough energy to produce hot water, while in winter it has enough capacity to satisfy all requirements.

Hot water is on demand, though the model has been equipped with a storage tank to hold excess heated water. Godden says some homeowners who have installed the on-demand systems in existing homes are taking them out because they don't understand how they work.

"What people haven't got about instantaneous hot water is that it's not working when you're not at home," Godden says, likening the system to a car that's been parked outdoors in winter and needs a few minutes to warm up after it is started. "On-demand is very efficient, but it's a lifestyle change."

Godden says that the low-flow showerheads work well with such systems but many homeowners use water-guzzling fixtures. The one he has in his own house uses less than 1.5 gallons of water a minute. The on-demand system will continuously run three gallons of hot water a minute within two minutes of starting.

All homes in the subdivision will have a solar pre-heat water system, which heats water before it goes to the dual-purpose boiler. The system supplies 100 per cent of hot water in summer, resulting in an average 50 per cent saving year-round. On 60-foot models, and optional on 40- and 45-foot models, are solar air heating panels that warm fresh air going into the heating system, saving on energy costs.

An integrated heat recovery ventilator (HRV) and air handler with a variable speed ECM motor delivers heating, air conditioning and ventilation. The air handler is like a forced air furnace without any burners, as the heat comes from hot water circulated through a fan coil. The HRV transfers 70 per cent of heat from warm exhaust air to fresh incoming cold air, improving indoor air quality, and the ECM motor uses 75 per cent less electricity than a conventional furnace fan. Warm air exhaust from bathrooms and the kitchen, usually vented outside, is instead directed back through the air handler.

Santamaura, a long-time proponent of "green" building, says one of the innovative aspects is how the different systems "talk" together.

"The big word here is 'performance'," says Godden. "A lot of building labelling systems have no performance standard. With LEED, you have to balance the mechanical systems. The thing not well understood about LEED is that it's an integrated design system."

Shelagh Dunlop's favourite feature is the rainwater cistern; she likes the idea that she will be recycling runoff to flush toilets and to water her garden; her husband likes the Icynene insulation, HRV and solar components.

The Dunlops comparison-shopped at other local developments and while the EcoLogic homes were "a little bit more expensive" (Godden estimates by 6 per cent), Dunlop says "when you look deeper, you're getting a lot for the money, not just in terms of the technology, but in the finishes, like the hardwood floors throughout and the quartz countertops, which are often upgrades with other builders."

As appealing as the finishes are, Dunlop says the home's "green" features are most important to her and her husband.

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